Russia Preparing a Response to New U.S. Sanctions

Russia is considering a wide arrange of measures as a reaction to latest U.S. sanctions against Moscow

Days after the bill imposing new sanctions on Russia was passed in U.S. House of Representatives, Moscow is considering counter-measures. The new sanctions against Russia target its energy sector, business and some high-ranking Russian officials.

The bill also restricts President Donald Trump’s ability to remove or relax existing sanctions, and largely prevents the President from seeking potential rapprochement with Russia.

Another point of discord between Washington and Moscow was the seizure of Russian diplomatic compounds in the U.S., ordered by the Obama administration as a response to the alleged Russian interference in U.S. election.

Russia has demanded its property to be returned, and threatened to retaliate by expelling U.S diplomats and closing U.S. diplomatic compounds in Moscow. So far, Russia has refrained from taking these measures, but the latest developments in U.S.-Russia relations may prompt Moscow to lose its patience.

Speaking about the latest U.S. sanctions, Konstantin Kosachev, the Head of International Affairs Committee of Federation Council said that bilateral relations between Russia and the United States will not recover anytime soon.

In such areas as cooperation in trade, economics, science and technology, as well as cooperation in major modern challenges, settling regional conflicts, fighting terrorism and other topics — we should, certainly, choose such countermeasures that, firstly, keep our own interests intact and secondly, such measures must be painful for Americans. They should not be just symbolic, not just “showing the flag.